HELPING HAND
Food bank program helps users rise out of extreme poverty,
Saheed Oyinlola has relied on food bank donations from North York Harvest since he arrived in Toronto from Nigeria this year.
“I worked in warehouse and distribution back home before coming here,” Oyinlola said.
His early months in the city consisted of sitting in his apartment, unable to find even volunteering opportunities.
But thanks to three months of free training in leadership and logistics at the food bank, Oyinlola is looking forward to forging an independent future.
On Thursday, he’ll become one of the first 10 people to graduate from this new program, which North York Harvest launched this year to help food bank users rise out of extreme poverty.
Developed in partnership with the Learning Enrichment Foundation, the program trains newcomers and people on social assistance in a range of hands-on skills using materials available at the food bank. Participants learn about loading and unloading trucks, shipping and receiving, managing paperwork and inventory as well as soft skills such as adaptability, decision-making and handling change.
Oyinlola has already secured a job offer at Combined Metal Industries, where he’ll start next week as a material control specialist.
“This is an opportunity for me to start all over, and this program is the reason why I was able to get the job,” he said.
Rowena Power, director of food distribution at North York Harvest, said the program is meant to build the confidence of food bank users and give them the ability to enter a workplace and perform.
“Food banks are an interim solution,” she said.
“If we want people to break the cycle of poverty, we need to get them into well-paying jobs, not just precarious employment.”
Toronto food banks have reported greater use over the past several years. North York Harvest says it serves around 15,000 people a month, an increase of 50 per cent since 2008.
“We’re learning and growing this program over time,” Power said. “Ten people is not a lot, but hopefully we can graduate 15 people every three months.”